European consumers are becoming increasingly health conscious, and are
therefore paying closer attention to the nutritional profile of foodsincluding
ingredient composition. This puts additional pressure on regional food and
beverage manufacturers to respond by reducing or cutting out fat, salt and
sugar as well as preservatives, additives and colorings.
Scope of this research
A snapshot of the importance that European consumers attach to diet and
nutrition and its impact on food buying habits such as label usage
Analysis of the major food components such as fats, and European
consumers' efforts to exclude, moderate or enhance such elements in their diets
Covers other pertinent food issues impacting the propensity to consume
such as consumer trust, product origin, and food allergens/intolerances
Covers food and non-alcoholic beverages. Analysis focuses on French,
German, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Swedish, Russian and UK consumers
Research and analysis highlights
Maintaining or improving health has become more important to over two-thirds
of European consumers in recent years. Accordingly, consumers are trying to
make more informed choices by paying greater attention to specific
ingredients. This partly explains why nutritional labelling has emerged as
such an important topic in food and beverage marketing
In France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, more than 40% of respondents told
Datamonitor in April/May 2009 that ' low/no' (added) sugar claims had a ' high'
or ' very high' amount of influence on their general food and beverage product
choice. This was higher than the equivalent response towards salt claims
Food allergies and intolerance to certain food types is driving an increasing
market segment to focus on products which omit certain ingredients in
formulation. While gluten-free claims have yet to exert significant influence
over a large segment of consumers, allergen-free products are being recognized
by a wider audience
Key reasons to purchase this research
Understand consumer attitudes and bevaviors regarding the most pertinent
macronutrients to help inform product formulation and communication tactics
Gain deep insight into the changing dietary behaviors of consumers in this
highly important regional market
Access data from two waves of primary research to increase the likelihood
of being ' on-trend' with NPD and marketing plans in Europe
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
OVERVIEW
Catalyst
Summary
THE FUTURE DECODED
INTRODUCTION: The nutritional specifics are becoming more important to
Europeans as they become more attentive to their wider health through dietary
intake
TREND: Europeans are highly conscious of dietary issues and this
translates into a growing attentiveness towards, and concern about, specific
ingredients
Health and nutrition is a top-of-mind consideration for Europeans which
partially explains the high levels of satisfaction expressed about their
general health and diet
There appears to be considerable room for the healthy food and beverage
in Europe market to grow
A growing appetite for health information has emerged as consumers take
interest in the formulation specifics
Key takeouts and implications: the deepening link between diet and
wellness in the mind of European consumers is important for the ongoing
popularization of ‘better-for-you' food and beverages
INSIGHT: Portion and calorie control are often at the forefront of
European consumers' efforts to be disciplined in their dietary choices
Portion control is more commonly embraced by most Europeans than
following a specific diet plan
Calories have become an important measurement against which consumers
make food and drink decisions
Key takeouts and implications: it still only a minority of Europeans who
are scrutinizing their caloric intake, but this behavior is expected to
become more prominent as consumers shun strict diet plans
INSIGHT: Reducing fat intake is the most important and frequently
practiced dietary approach by Europeans
Europeans attach high importance to cutting fat intake and this is
somewhat reflected by their attentiveness to this dietary issue
Low or reduced fat claims exert a significant degree of influence over
Europeans' food and beverage choices, but the proportion of products making
such claims is on the decline
Key takeouts and implications: reduced fat foods are generally
considered to improve the healthiness of the diet, help control weight and
benefit physical wellbeing generally
INSIGHT: Europeans are becoming wary about over-consumption of salt,
albeit with variations by country
French, Italian, Spanish and UK consumers all attach above average
importance to reducing salt intake
UK consumers are most likely to be influenced by low or reduced salt
claims while NPD data shows considerable room for growth in low/no
salt/sodium claims
Key takeouts and implications: European consumers are becoming wary
about over-consumption of salt, but not to the extent that many health
professionals and pressure groups would like
INSIGHT: Desires to reduce or modify sugar intake are intensifying in
Europe
Sugar intake has an elevated level of importance among Swedes, French
and Italian consumers
Low or reduced sugar claims exert a significant degree of influence over
Europeans' food and beverage choice and represent a relatively significant
innovation theme in non-alcoholic beverages
Key takeouts and implications: the influence of sugar based claims will
prove to be a spur for formulation innovation, particularly with low-calorie
sweeteners gaining traction
INSIGHT: Carbohydrate concerns are generally lower on European consumers'
agenda
Europeans attach comparably less importance to reducing their
carbohydrate intake and are therefore less attentive to monitoring carbs
Key takeouts and implications: European consumers' focus will
increasingly be about consuming the ‘right carbs' rather that reducing
carbohydrate intake
INSIGHT: Food additives and processed food are of high concern for the
vast majority of Europeans who are increasingly conscious and influenced by
fresh claims
Europeans perceive they are more influenced by ‘no additive'
claims than they are attentive to additives
Consistent with stated concerns about food additives, Europeans are
making significant attempts to consume fresh food and some attempt to limit
processed food consumption
Key takeouts and implications: the presence of additives in food, an
issue increasingly highlighted by the media, is an issue of concern to
consumers and exacerbates rising interest in natural and fresh alternatives
INSIGHT: Sensory-driven consumers intensify the need for advancements in
formulation technologies that facilitate the development of healthier
indulgences
Research continually demonstrates that more Europeans choose food and
beverages on the basis of sensory appeal than health considerations
Consumer skepticism about health and nutritional claims is another
important issue for food and beverage producers
Key takeouts and implications: despite European consumers making active
attempts to eat healthier, they will generally not compromise sensory
benefits for nutrition benefits
INSIGHT: Concerns surrounding food and ingredient integrity have
intensified European consumers' focus on food sourcing while ‘free-from'
foods also remain a growth niche
Consumer concerns about the integrity of ‘foreign' ingredients has
intensified ‘locavorism'
Allergen and intolerance concerns have fuelled the growth of
‘free-from' food an beverages
Key takeouts and implications: allergen and intolerance concerns and
product locality also influence the moderation and avoidance behaviors of
consumers
INSIGHT: Today' s health-conscious consumers want to derive the maximum
nutritional value from the food and drinks they already enjoy
Consumers are becoming more interested in hearing positive messages
about food choices and food ingredients
Key takeouts and implications: contemporary dietary patterns are guided
by three important themes: exclusion, moderation and enhancement
ACTION POINTS
ACTION: Adopt a proactive stance towards health-driven product
reformulation to satisfy both consumer and pressure group scrutiny
Adopt a three-tiered approach to food and drink innovation which is
focused on health
Focus on formulation simplification both in ingredients and product
communication
Use Datamonitor' s Product Launch Analytics (PLA) database to stay
abreast of the most prominent product formulation trends both in and outside
of your category
Listen to customer conversation to help with product formulation
decision making
ACTION: Actively communicate a commitment to ‘better' product
formulation
Responsibly utilize wider public health campaigns to promote products
and act as a catalyst for innovation
Set tangible goals to demonstrate your commitment to public health
through better nutrition
Adopt a more holistic approach thereby ensuring that ‘free-from'
foods stand up to scrutiny in other aspects of formulation
Use leading/flagship brands to add additional weight behind
reformulation efforts
Retailers should actively use private label ranges to demonstrate their
commitment meeting consumers' nutritional concerns with healthier products
Develop ‘better-for-you' products that facilitate a more
compelling positive health or sensory message
Stay abreast of the new information tools empowering consumers to make
informed judgments about the nutritional profile of products
ACTION: Develop a broad range of enhanced food and beverage products
offering antidotes to the myriad health problems facing consumers
APPENDIX
Methodology
Further reading and references
Ask the analyst
Datamonitor consulting
Disclaimer
FIGURES
Figure: Europeans consider diet and nutrition to be highly important to
their wellbeing
Figure: To capitalize on the growing interest in health and wellbeing,
industry players must consider a wide array of lifestyle issues to truly be
‘in-touch' with consumers
Figure: Improving health has become more important to Europeans in recent
years and this is generally reflected by the conscious attempts made to eat
healthily
Figure: Most consumers shift between periods of healthy and indulgent
consumption in a ‘debits-credits' approach to eating and drinking
Figure: Orthorexia Nervosa is a condition that reflects the ‘food
stress' that results from the intense interest in healthy eating
Figure: In what can be termed as an ‘optimistic bias' , Europeans are
generally satisfied with both their general health and the nutritional quality
of their diet
Figure: While the overwhelming majority of Europeans express interest in
food and beverages that improve their health, far fewer are actively buying
such products
Figure: While Europeans are generally interested in reading or hearing
about the relationship between food and health, many also feel that food and
health information is confusing and conflicting
Figure: Europeans' stated interest in food label information is higher
than the frequency with which they use such information
Figure: With the exception of Italy and Spain, portion control is more
commonly embraced by Europeans than following a specific diet plan
Figure: Italians are particularly attentive to the portion size of meals
and snacks they consume
Figure: Calorie intake in Western Europe and the US is higher than
elsewhere in the world
Figure: More than half of Europeans from the major Western markets
consider controlling calorie intake to be an important dietary approach
Figure: Low or reduced calorie claims have the highest perceived influence
on the food and beverage choices of Italian and Spanish consumers
Figure: Low/no calorie food launches have accounted for less than 3% of
all food products launched in Europe over the last five years
Figure: Although low/no calorie non-alcoholic beverages have become more
prominent in recent years, they still account for no more than 5% of all
product launches
Figure: More than half of Europeans from the major Western markets
perceive reducing saturated fat intake to be an important dietary approach,
led by Spanish and UK consumers
Figure: In what represents an evolution in nutritional awareness, there is
not a marked difference in Europeans' stated attentiveness to the amount fat
consumed and the types consumed
Figure: With the exception of Swedes, one-third of Europeans perceive that
‘low' or ‘reduced' fat claims highly influence their food and
beverage choices
Figure: The proportion of new food products in Europe making low fat
claims is declining
Figure: Low/no fat product claims in newly introduced non-alcoholic
beverages in Europe are rare
Figure: More than half of Europeans from the major Western markets
perceive reducing salt intake to be an important dietary approach, led by UK
consumers
Figure: French, Italian and UK consumers are the most attentive to the
amount of salt/sodium they consume
Figure: UK consumers are most likely to be influenced by ‘low' or
‘reduced' salt claims which perhaps reflects the higher consumption of
processed foods and recent public health messages there
Figure: Low/no salt/sodium claims account for just 1% of all food products
launched in Europe
Figure: Low/no salt/sodium claims are practically non-existent in European
non-alcoholic beverages
Figure: Europeans typically get 10% or more of their energy from sugar &
sweetener consumption
Figure: Attitudinally, majorities of Europeans consider sugar intake to be
an important dietary approach
Figure: French, Italian and Swedish consumers are the most attentive to
sugar consumption
Figure: More than one-in-five Europeans in all markets covered reported
choosing foods to reduce their overall sugar intake more often in 2008
Figure: A peak in European low/no sugar food product launches occurred in
2007
Figure: Around 10% of newly introduced non-alcoholic beverages in Europe
makes a low/no sugar claim
Figure: Sugarfree gum in Europe is outgrowing regular gum buy a
significant margin and this is expected to continue going forward
Figure: In the eight European markets this report focus on, the direction
of growth for diet and standard carbonates is largely similar
Figure: Only in Italy and Spain do more than one-in-five consumers
consider reducing carbohydrate intake to be an important dietary approach
Figure: Italians are the most pre-occupied with carbohydrate consumption
Figure: The glycemic index is utilized by French and Italians more so than
elsewhere in Europe
Figure: Germans are the most influenced by low carbohydrate claims
Figure: Low/no carbohydrate food products in Europe only really gained any
kind of momentum during the Atkins fad in 2004-05 and even then it was very
limited
Figure: Low/no carbohydrate non-alcoholic beverages have been nearly
non-existent in the last five years
Figure: Stated concern about food additives is highest in Italy where
consumers tend to be more sensitive to food risk issues
Figure: Food additives is a particularly sensitive issue for Russians and
Italians
Figure: Consistent with their stated attentiveness to food additives,
Russians made more concerted efforts to choose additive free food and
beverages in 2008 than other European consumers
Figure: The “healthy halo” of freshness (and desire to
increase fruit and vegetable intake) is reflected by the stated desire of
Europeans to consume as much fresh food as possible
Figure: The “healthy halo” of freshness is also reflected by
the very high perceived influence fresh claims have on Europeans' food and
beverage choices
Figure: More and more new food products introduced in Europe are making no
additive claims
Figure: 2008 was a record year for additive free non-alcoholic beverage
product claims in Europe
Figure: Europeans are more likely to think about food from an enjoyment
point of view
Figure: Sensory benefits are more important in directing Europeans'
dietary choices than health
Figure: In what is a major ongoing challenge for manufacturers, polarized
opinion exists among Europeans about whether healthy food and beverages are
actually tasty and enjoyable
Figure: Considerable skepticism is apparent among Europeans about the
stated health and nutrition benefits of food and beverage products
Figure: There is ambivalence and distrust among many Europeans about
whether enough efforts are made to ensure safe provision of food and beverage
products at the grocery store
Figure: Trust in “foreign products and ingredients” is low
among Europeans, particularly in Germany
Figure: Russians make the most concerted effort to buy local, but the
stated importance of this issue has increased for more than half of Europeans
in many countries
Figure: Origin and production methods influence Italians and Russians more
than other Europeans
Figure: Food and beverage allergy or intolerance concerns are apparent for
around 40% of Europeans
Figure: Marked differences characterize food allergens and intolerances
although a large segment of consumers do not recognize this
Figure: Dutch consumers express little concern for food intolerances,
especially compared to Russians and Italians
Figure: Allergen free claims are deemed particularly influential in what
Russians eat and drink
Figure: Food and beverage formulations need to cater for the more positive
nutritional messages consumers are tying to embrace, particularly via growing
functional food consumption
Figure: A continuum of healthy eating has emerged based on principles of
dietary exclusion, moderation and enhancement
Figure: Consumers shift between periods of healthy and indulgent
consumption needs to be catered for with a three-tiered approach to food and
drink innovation
Figure: The new Haagen-Dazs ‘five' brand reflects a focus on
formulation simplification both in ingredients and communication
Figure: The top 10 claims/tags of newly introduced products food and
non-alcoholic beverages in Europe highlights the differing formulations
required to satisfy consumers' broad dietary habits
Figure: These consumer needs offer opportunities for targeted food and
beverage solutions
Food Nutrients and Ingredients: Attitudinal and Behavioral Trends in Europe published by Datamonitor in December 9, 2009. This report consists of Pages: 86 and the price starts from US $ 2495.
